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Saturday, June 30, 2012

Amy's Virtual Baby Shower and Trivia {Give@way)

Looking for giveaway? Scroll down almost to the end of the post. Thanks!

Welcome, guests, to the party! We are celebrating Amy and her lovely newborn son, Vedder (yes, he arrived ahead of schedule!). Our gifts for the sweet new baby boy are children's books that we loved as children and/or have lovingly read to our own children. As part of the shower today, each of us describes why we love our choice of book (we are sending the books directly to you, Amy, so be on the lookout!). After that, the party progresses to the shower game which is a trivia quiz with some great book prizes!

I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who is so generously participating. I organized this event because Amy is such a wonderful part of the historical fiction and book blogging communities. I wanted to give something back to her in this special time of her life. It seems I'm not the only one who thinks Amy is great.

I'd also like to thank the authors who were so kind to donate copies of their books for the trivia game. An extra special thank you goes out to Michelle Moran who came up with the genius idea for the baby gifts.

Be sure to read all the way down to the end. I will be revealing an extra special surprise just for Amy!

Enjoy!

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I chose The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton for Vedder's library. It was a favorite when I was a child. I just loved hearing about how the little house kept living through all the changes that were going on in the world around her, yet she stayed the same. I used to get very sad when she became neglected and forgotten. Thank goodness she gets her happy ending. I read the book over and over again, never tiring of it. My Mom saved all of our books from when we were kids so when my boys were old enough, I pulled out The Little House (the same copy) and read it to them. It immediately became a favorite for them too. It's a book that is not only good, but it teaches the lesson that nothing or no one should be neglected or forgotten. It is a book that well deserved the Caldecott Medal (1943).

Amy, I already know you're a great mom to your lovely daughter. Now you get to experience the wonder of being the mother of a son...and it is wonderful (I speak from experience). Congratulations! I hope you and Vedder enjoy many years of reading The Little House together.

~Michelle/The True Book Addict

I loved this book as a child - I still love it. The bright colors are fun and it is an ABC book with a catchy rhyme that gets stuck in my head. It is just really cute and it will help with learning the ABC's and about uppercase and lowercase letters.

~Amber/The Musings of Almybnenr

This book was a gift from my Aunt when I was little and the first I remember someone reading to me. I felt so sorry for Corduroy, sitting on that shelf feeling unloved then exploring the department store to find his missing button so someone would take him home. I always felt so happy when the little girl gave him a family! It has such a sweet message about adventure and love and I have so enjoyed reading this book to my son. I hope Amy does the same and I wish her all the best in her own new adventure!

~Colleen Turner

When I was growing up, this book was given to me as a gift by my godfather. It was one of the first books I had ever owned; more importantly, its enchanting story taught me an invaluable lesson, of how we must accept and love our differences. As The Little Prince says, "It is only with the heart that we can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

I hope Vedder Myrick treasures the journey and finds everything his heart desires.

With love,Christopher (C.W. Gortner, author)

As a writer and a mother, I've never found the perfect words to describe the golden joy a child brings into our lives. I wish the whole family...mom, dad, sister, and baby a lifetime of that luminescent joy! And though I failed to get pics in in time my gift is Pat the Bunny, a wonderful tactile very early baby book. Though my sons are 19 and 22, I remember so well their faces of discover when they could touch and feel the texture of the animals in the story. It was magic!

All my love,

Donna (Donna Russo Morin, author)

Hi Amy, wishing you and your wonderful new arrival all the joy and happiness in the world. May you be blessed all the days of your lives.

I chose Prince Cinders by Babbette Cole as my book for the shower because it’s a traditional fairy story with a modern twist and one that always made me laugh when I read it to my children. It was an all round favourite with something to keep everyone interested and amused. I hope you and the little one will enjoy it just as much as we did.

~Elizabeth Chadwick, author

My choice for the virtual baby shower gift is an anthology titled Classic Characters of Little Golden Books. This anthology includes the following stories: The Pokey Little Puppy; The Saggy, Baggy Elephant; Tootle; Scruffy the Tugboat, and The Tawny, Scrawny Lion. These were among my favorite stories to read as a kid and I still have my original editions at home in a box tucked away for my kids. My favorite was The Saggy, Baggy Elephant, but it is a close tie with Scruffy. The stories are timeless and can be enjoyed by children of all ages and appeal to both boys and girls. I can’t wait to share these stories with my kids someday and hope that Amy and her family enjoy experiencing them together as well. Congratulations on the beautiful baby boy!

~Heather/The Maiden’s Court

My Mum (Helen Hollick) wrote this book for me when I was 4 years old - I am now 30. She wrote it because she wanted to tell me, in a way that I would remember, how to keep myself safe from being abducted or hurt by "strangers". COME AND TELL ME has a simple and straightforward message that all children can easily remember and ACT UPON should the need arise - always TELL before you GO, whether with a friend or someone you don't know, always COME AND TELL. Something like 75% of child abduction is committed by someone the child vaguely knows - i.e. a neighbour, or that nice man Mummy occasionally says hello to. It's no good saying "don't go with strangers" young children don't actually know what the definition of a stranger is! Be safe, read COME AND TELL ME to your child, it's not only informative, but a lovely little story as well!” quote from Kathy Hollick, Helen's daughter

~Helen Hollick, author

I have fond memories of reading about the adventures of Little Critter. These books are short and sweet with a focus on family relationships and lessons for little kids. Alas, my favorite Just Me and My Dad is not included in this collection but there are some good ones in there. I read these to my boy before he was school age and I'm hoping Vedder ends up loving Little Critter too. Congratulations Amy and Mike!

~Holly/Bippity Boppity Book

Hi Amy,

Congratulations to you and your husband, and welcome to your cute little Vedder! I'm sending Peter Rabbit to you. It was one of my favorite books, partially because it was about animals. Mostly I loved it because Peter was such an independent soul. He and I were both runaways, but our moms loved us anyway.

I wish you the best of luck in your new and challenging role as mother, and for Vedder in his new surroundings!

Cheers,

Jo Ann Butler (author)

I'm giving Goodnight Moon because it is the Ambien of baby sleep. It works like a charm with very small children, and they find it addictive. The book is definitely a new mommy's friend.

~Karen Essex, author

Dear Amy and Vedder,

The only relationships that may be more important than a young boy and his mother (and okay, yeah, his dad, too) are between a young boy and his teddy bear and a young boy and his imagination. When I was a small child, WINNIE THE POOH opened up Christopher Robin and Pooh's worlds -- not only into the "Hundred-Aker Wood" but into England, which led to a lifelong romance with the past -- and with my stuffed animals -- both of which endure today.

May you cherish all of them forever and may the words and pictures in WINNIE THE POOH and within your own imagination lead to your very own magical places!

Welcome to the world of books, Vedder! As your mother will tell you, it's a great place to live!

With all best wishes for a magical future!

~Leslie Carroll/Juliet Grey, author

Amy and Vedder -

I chose Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator because it's the perfect set of books to lose yourself in! I saw the Gene Wilder film first, fell in love with the idea of a perfect fantasy-land, through a child's eyes, and found the same in Roald Dahl's books. Charlie is a wonderful hero, who is devoted to his family, and who gets ahead in the world by being honest, being loyal and being compassionate. What could be better than running a candy factory and living in a world where anything and everything is possible?

Amy, I hope that you enjoy reading these books to Vedder as he grows up. Vedder, I hope your life is filled with as much sweetness, fun and fantasy as is present in these books.
Enjoy and love!

~Lori/Psychotic State Book Reviews

Since I have two girls of my own, it took me awhile to choose a book that would be suitable for a boy! Most of our favourites have female characters - Jillian Jiggs, Anne of Green Gables, The Princess and the Potty...

Then I remembered back to my own childhood and a book I loved - and a book I had, indeed, bought for my own daughters. Danny and the Dinosaur. I recall thinking how cool it would be to have a pet that could take me around all over town, someone all the kids would love - but most of all, it taught me that anyone can be friends, even people who aren't exactly alike.

I hope Vedder enjoys the book as much as I did, as much as my daughters did - as much as we STILL do.

Welcome to the world, little fellow!

~Martina, Book Drunkard

I chose Stellaluna by Janell Cannon for Vedder and Amy because as soon as it came out I fell in love with it, and bought a copy for every child I knew. Stellaluna is a little bat who gets separated from her mother for a while, but they have a joyous reunion by the book's end. Of course I want Vedder to have this wonderful book, and hope he will love it, too.

~Melanie McDonald, author

The book I've chosen for Amy's baby boy is THE NEIGHBORHOOD MOTHER GOOSE. As a child, I remember sitting on my mother''s lap while she read these old nursery rhymes to me, and nothing felt more enchanting. I hope Amy's son grows up to have that same sense of wonderment at the world as I had at my mother's knee. I hope he is curious and creative and filled with joy at both life and living. Congratulations Amy! And welcome to a truly wonderful world, Vedder.

~Michelle Moran, author

A series of pictures. Bright colors. No words. Each page a wordless comment on all the preceding images. Every picture a story, and every story a small element in multiple other stories. Point of view is everything. Zoom surprises and fascinates. A book for small children and their parents. Both of my children loved it. Annie and I enjoyed weaving tales, different every time, about each picture. I hope you and your children enjoy it as much as we did, Amy.

~Mitchell James Kaplan, author

I had a copy of The Velveteen Rabbit that ended up in shreds because it was read to death. My mother would read it to me and then I would read it myself. I sent a copy with the same cover that my book had. The story is so sad in its way but so special. They were magical times with my mother before my brothers came along and ruined it all.

Welcome to little Vedder - may he become a reader, ready to explore all the world has to offer within the pages of books and without as he grows.

~Patty Woodland, goat-herding, book reading, cookie loving Montanan

I've loved Dr. Seuss since I was a kid with his creative characters and rhymes. You could say he was one of the first poets I read as a child, and I've loved creative characters and poems ever since, especially when they are humorous and teach you things without being boring. It was the first pick I made for my baby shower list because I knew that my copies were old and no longer around and I knew my daughter had to have them and I had to read them to her. I hope that Amy can find the same joy I found in them with her new bundle of joy. Welcome to motherhood.

~Serena, Savvy Verse & Wit

It MUST Be Love

As a parent three times over I am a sucker for a good parent-child love story. A story that captures the special sort of love we feel for our children—fierce and completely unconditional. Both my book selections embody that sort of love.

Robert Munsch’s Love You Forever captures just how relentless and unflagging a parent’s love is. The image of the mother sneaking into her unruly teen’s room at night to sing him her special song (“I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be”) and later driving across town to sing to him as a grown man, never fails to move me to tears. They are our babies. Always until the day we die. Heard early and often this message is tremendously powerful. Recently while tidying the room of my college-aged daughter I found a loved-to-death copy of Munsch’s book in her bedside table. I left it where I found it. Big girls need reassurance too.

I had a copy of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are when I was a little girl. I took that copy to college with me. I gave it to my children. Somewhere in the untamed wilderness that is my house it wanders still (no doubt snarling its terrible snarl). There are many themes in the book, but from the first time I heard it read aloud, the most important page for me came at the end. Max has been sent to bed without any supper, and he certainly deserves the punishment. But when he returns to his room after his great adventure, his supper IS there—and it’s still warm. His mother loves him even when he is a wild thing, and her love is stronger than her will to send him to bed hungry.

Amy, I hope that you and Vedder enjoy my book selections for many years to come!

All the best,

Sophie Perinot, author

I chose James and the Giant Peach because it was my favorite book as a child. It's actually the first book I read by myself, as far as I can remember. I remember reading it before bed and my mom told me it was time to go 5to sleep. After she closed my door, out came the flash light. LOL! I just couldn't put it down. The characters were so vivid in my imagination, I felt transported.

~Teddy Rose, So Many Precious Books, So Little Time and Historical Tapestry

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The Baby Shower Game

I've put together a little quote trivia quiz. Since it's a baby shower, I will list six quotes from books who have main characters that are children (they are from children's, middle grade, or adult books). There will be a corresponding space for each answer in the Rafflecopter widget. You must give the character's name and the book title for each quote. Winners will be chosen from all correct responses. We have some international prizes, so this is open to everyone!

Guess the quotes. Enter answers in the Rafflecopter. Remember character and book title must be entered to be counted. Good luck!

1. "I was born good, but had grown progressively worse every year."

2. "Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

3. "We all grow up someday...we might as well know what we want."

4. "Please, sir, I want some more."

5. "When I was a little kid, I thought like a little kid, but now I'm five I know everything."

6. "Thinking I'm a moron gives people something to feel smug about...why should I disillusion them?"

There will be five winners. Winners will be chosen randomly using the Rafflecopter. First winner will have first choice of book and so on down the line. Giveaway will be open for two weeks and will end on Sunday, 7/15 at 12:01am EST.

26 comments:

Thank you for visiting and taking the time to comment. It means so much.

I apologize for word verification, but as soon as I changed the settings from only users with Google accounts, I started receiving a ton of spam comments...within one hour of changing the settings. The bots are on high alert apparently.

Just popping in before I head to an appointment - - it's early here on the West Coast - - but I wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS to Amy and many thanks to Michelle for organizing this wonderful virtual shower. I look forward to the fun today!~Lori

I loved reading through all these :) Congrats Amy! I predict your little man is going to have one wall of his nursery full of bursting bookshelves by time he reaches reading age. Michelle-you are like the Wonder Woman of organizing events. Fantastic job!

Congratulations, Amy & Vedder! Just stopping by to send you my love -- my parents are in town (parents are wonderful things, Vedder: you'll learn that!). Michelle, you did an amazing job. Amy -- I hope you were surprised!

Oh my goodness, I am totally speechless right now and sobbing my eyes out - I can barely see the keyboard trough the river of tears. This is the most awesome gift ever, I am so overwhelmed by emotion right now and not just because of the hormones :) Michelle, I can't thank you enough for organizing this for me and Vedder - you are such an amazing person and I truly am so thankful to have gotten to know you over the years. Thank you to you all who gifted a book to Vedder, I cannot wait to share my love of reading with him and the fact that these beloved books were given especially to him because of how special they were to you is beyond precious. Words cannot express how thankful I am to you all for your love and kindness. This is the best community and I am very grateful to be a part of it. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

As a writer and a mother, I've never found the perfect words to describe the golden joy a child brings into our lives. I wish the whole family...mom, dad, sister, and baby a lifetime of that luminescent joy! And though I failed to get pics in in time my gift is Pat the Bunny, a wonderful tactile very early baby book. Though my sons are 19 and 22, I remember so well their faces of discover when they could touch and feel the texture of the animals in the story. It was magic! All my love, Donna

Sorry I haven't been here to celebrate more.....I was at a wedding this morning and preparing now for a family birthday party for my son! I am so happy for you, Amy, and your whole family! Vedder is a very lucky little boy and he is just beautiful!

Amy, take good care of yourself and of your beautiful little Vedder. What you do for the historical fiction community is priceless. We're all lucky to have you. Enjoy your time reading with Vedder while you can. It's fleeting but precious.

Congratulations Amy! So exciting that everyone wants to share their love of reading with the next generation. Can't wait to see more pictures of your little guy as he grows up. Thanks Michelle for hosting this and to all the awesome authors!

I realized that I forgot to say thank you to Michelle for this wonderful party! Where are my manners :)? Thank you, Michelle, for coordinating this fun and sweet baby shower! I am always amazed at the love and generosity I find in this booky virtual world!

Oh my goodness, what a wonder library Vedder has right from the start! I would have picked most of those books myself but there are a few new ones that I'll have to tuck away in my mind for the hoped for day of being a grandma! Congratulations to Amy!

Thank you to everyone who has stopped by and wished Amy well. And thank you for all the lovely compliments. I certainly enjoyed putting this event together for Amy. =O) And thank you again to everyone who contributed. Thanks for making it a success!

Congratulations Amy! Vedder sure is a cutie and I hope you both are doing well. I was so busy this month, I was way behind on everything, but did want to stop by Michelle's blog and wish you well. And say GREAT JOB to Michelle for coordinating this all. WHat a wonderful friend. Best wishes to you both. :)

TBR PILE (the tip of the iceberg)

If books could have more, give more, be more, show more, they would still need readers who bring to them sound and smell and light and all the rest that can’t be in books.The book needs you.~Gary Paulsen

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Favorite Authors

Which Jane Austen heroine are you?

Which literary heroine are you?

You are Josephine March from "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott. Opinionated and outspoken, your bold nature can sometimes get you into trouble. You must constantly make a conscious decision to seem gentler to people when you first meet them -- those who do not know you well can sometimes find your passion abrasive or overly aggressive. The happiness of others is your greatest source for happiness of your own -- you want nothing more than to provide for your family and friends, to make them happy.

Which Downton Abbey Character Am I?

You are Lady Sybil Crawley. The youngest daughter of Lord Grantham, you’re compassionate, strong, and really concerned about social justice. You’d also like to be able to vote. The bravest and most idealistic member of your family, you’re the most likely to end up at a political rally, try and help a servant to a better job, or scandalize your sisters by wearing pants to a party.

Which historical person are you most like?

You are Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni people and fiery leader of an uprising against the Romans in England. You don’t turn away from a fight. In fact, you go looking for one if someone tries to tell you what to do. You’re a natural leader, a vicious opponent, and you look great swinging a sword.

Who would I be in 1400 AD?

Your result for The Who Would You Be in 1400 AD Test...

The Knight

You scored 34% Cardinal, 44% Monk, 38% Lady, and 57% Knight!

You are the hero. Brave and bold. You are strong and utterly selfless. You are also a pawn to your superiors and will be lucky if you live very long. If you survive the Holy wars you are thrust into you will be praised for your valor and opportunities both romantic and financial will become available to you.

The sorting hat says...

SOME OF THE BOOKS I HAVE READ

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